The geometry of the Coble cubic and orbital degeneracy loci (Q2225615)

Let \(V_9\) be a \(9\)-dimensional \(\mathbb C\)-vector space. In the article [\textit{L. Gruson} and \textit{S. V. Sam}, Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 110, No. 3, 755--785 (2015; Zbl 1354.14019)] it is shown how to associate to a general trivector \(\omega\in\bigwedge^3 V_9\) a cubic hypersurface \(\mathcal C_3\) and a \((3,3)\)-polarized abelian surface \(A\) both contained in \(\mathbb P(\check{V_9})\). \(A\) is the singular locus of \(\mathcal C_3\), that results to be the classical Coble hypersurface.\par Here the authors apply the theory of orbital degeneracy loci, developed in [\textit{V. Benedetti} et al., Ann. Sc. Norm. Super. Pisa, Cl. Sci. (5) 21, 169--206 (2020; Zbl 07373216); \textit{V. Benedetti} et al., Int. Math. Res. Not. 2020, No. 24, 9887--9932 (2020; Zbl 1462.14046)], to associate to \(\omega\) some interesting varieties contained in the dual space \(\mathbb P(V_9)\), and explain the rich geometry underlying these constructions and the relations with \(A\) and \(\mathcal C_3\). The obtained varieties are the generalized Kummer fourfold Kum\(^2(A)\), the Hilbert scheme Hilb\(^2(A)\), and the nested Kummer fourfold Kum\(^{2,3}(A)\).\par This point of view allows them to obtain an explicit description of the group structure on \(A\) (once an origin is fixed) similar to the classical geometrical description of the group structure on a plane cubic curve.